


Shot in the Dark

by natsubeatsrock



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Background Relationships, Don't Act Like I'm Not Doing Them A Favor, F/M, What Mashima Did Little To Nothing With Them, ish? I guess?, universe expansion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-09
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:47:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22988137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/natsubeatsrock/pseuds/natsubeatsrock
Summary: Ever wondered the story behind Alzack and Bisca’s relationship? Follow them from their first meeting to their engagement. My submission for the Fairy Tail Big Bang 2020.
Relationships: Alzack Connell/Bisca Mulan
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

"You here about the new guy?", one member said, blowing a puff of cigar smoke.

"Yeah", his friend replied, side-eyeing a man with dark, long hair with a brown poncho. "Came in from Alakitasia a few days ago."

"Wonder what brought him to Fairy Tail?"

"Don't know, but I doubt it's any good."

As they were talking, a green-haired woman passed by them. "Hey, where are you going?" one of them asked, but she paid them no mind.

She sat across from the man, who did his best not to look her in the eyes.

"Hello, " she tried to greet him, but he didn't respond. "You must be the new guy. I think I was away on a mission when you joined the guild. My name is Bisca."

"Alzack", the man replied, still not looking at the woman in front of him.

"Oh, that's a nice name. I don't think I've heard that one before."

"You probably haven't."

"Why is it that?" she asked. When he didn't answer back, her mind made the connection. "That's right, you came from the West." His body tensed up at this comment. "Yeah, I don't think that I've met too many people from the Alakitasia. So, is it true?"

"What do you mean?" he asked with noticeable fear in his voice. He sounded as if he was being accused of something.

"You know,'' she replied, "that the continent is full of wizards?"

"Oh," he sighed. "Yeah, most of the people on the continent can use magic. That isn't the same here?"

"No. If I remember correctly, something like 10 percent of people on the continent can use magic."

"Wow," Alzack mused. He couldn't imagine a continent with so few magic users.

"Yeah, I don't know everything behind it. Some stuff happened and magic was banned until about a century ago. That probably has something to do with it." 

"It's not all it's cracked up to be, though. A lot of the guilds in Alakastia are nothing more than army recruitment centers for Alvarez's Spriggan Emperor. Even outside the empire, his reach is scary wide."

"I take it then, you're not a fan of this 'Spriggan Emperor' then."

"Not many people outside of the Alvarez Empire are. They're just too afraid to admit it. Starting a fight with Alvarez is practically begging for destruction."

Hearing this, Bisca hit the table and started to get up, "Let's do a job together!"

Alzack looked at the woman, surprised by the suggestion. "What?"

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed the rumors about you." He didn't have the words to deny her statement. "If you do some jobs, maybe your standing will change with the other members."

"But if you know about the rumors", he protested, "why would you want to work with me?"

"I don't buy them, " she replied simply. "You don't seem to be the kind of person who would be part of an international terrorist scheme."

"That's what they're saying about me?!" Alzack questioned incredulously. "And you're willing to go on a mission with me because you've decided I'm not a terrorist after one conversation?"

"I'm willing to take the chance on you. I'd like to think of this as… a shot in the dark. And I consider myself to be pretty good at taking risky shots." 

Her response managed to get a laugh out of him. "Okay", he conceded. "I guess I should do a job with you. Where do we take one?"

"You can go by the Request Board and pick a job out. I'll let Mirajane know we're taking a job."

The two went in separate directions, as Alzack headed towards the Request Board and Bisca sought out the barmaid. She found her behind the counter, cleaning glasses.

"Hey, Mira!" she called out.

"Hi, Bisca," she greeted. "So, I saw you with the new guy." Of course, he barmaid had a special eye for the guild romances, budding or otherwise.

Bisca wasn't willing to play along. "We're just going on a job together. That's all, " she assured her.

"Well, you never know," Mirajane replied. "You can start out going on a mission together, and then…"

"Mira."

"Did he tell you about his magic?"

"No, " Bisca responded, puzzled by the question. She hadn't thought to ask him about his magic. It didn't seem important to ask.

"Interesting", the white-haired barmaid gleefully hummed as she went back to wiping glasses.

Bisca was about to ask what she meant. But as she was about to, Alzack came towards her. "I found a job I like, but I can't understand the reward."

"What do you mean?" Bisca asked.

"They left it blank."

"What do you mean, 'they left it blank'?"

"I mean, there's nothing where the reward should be."

"Let me see, " Mirajane offered, as he handed the request to them.

"Does that mean that there is no reward?" Alzack asked.

"No, " Mirajane replied. "They would have put that on the request. I haven't seen a request like this in a while. If I remember correctly, that means that they may not be able to pay you in money."

"What else would they pay us in?" Bisca asked.

"It depends on the client, " she replied, handing the request to her. "They may pay in produce or gifts or something like that. I used to go on missions like this when I was younger."

Bisca looked at the job request. "Escort Shopkeeper to Hargeon." Chances are that the reward has something to do with that. "I guess I'm fine with this. I shouldn't need to make money for a while. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yep."

"Alright, we should head out then. See you Mirajane."

"See you guys later, " Mirajane replied as they walked out the guild. "Have fun with on the job, " she playfully added.

"What does she mean?" Alzack asked.

"Don't worry about it, " Bisca responded. "Mirajane is a bit too interested in the love lives of guild members, real, potential, or imagined."

"You mean she thinks that we-"

"Don't worry about it," she repeated, cutting him off. " Mira often thinks with her heart more than her head. It's no big deal."

"Yeah, " he nervously chuckled. "No big deal."

"Although, I do have to ask. As easy as this mission seems, if things go south, will you be able to handle yourself?"

"Don't worry about me 'Miss Sharp-Shooter", he said with a sense of playful confidence he hadn't shown up to that point. "I can handle myself just fine."

His response got more than a chuckle out of the green-haired woman. "Well then, let's get to the client and start this."

\-------

So far, the mission was going fairly well. The client was an older widower whose children had long grown up and gone their separate ways. The last time he went from Magnolia to Hargeon with a new shipment of supplies, he was robbed by a group of bandits. Whenever he needed to make the trip, he made sure to reach into his expenses and ensure himself from losing even more money than he'd lose on stolen goods.

So far, nothing out of the ordinary happened. They were traveling by horse-drawn cart, with the client riding in the front and the two wizards switching between riding inside with the wares and on the back of the cart, keeping watch for robbers. It was Alzack's turn outside and he was feeling more than a bit anxious. He couldn't have guessed that he would have ended up being roped into his first mission with another guild member when he entered the guildhall. He didn't know how long the trip from Magnolia to Hargeon was, but he picked the job because it seemed pretty easy for his first mission as a Fairy Tail wizard with another person. It didn't seem as glamorous as a mission like stealing treasure from some rich monster, but given that he was considered a potential terrorist, it seemed like a good idea to keep a low profile, at least until he gained more trust.

He still couldn't believe that Bisca had orchestrated any of this. What was she getting at? If she knew his reputation, why would she be so forward in trying to work with him? She likely wasn't going to get anything from this mission. If anything, going on a mission with him might have hurt her reputation. What was she getting at?

His concerns came to a halt with the cart. He wasn't expecting to stop for a while.

"Hey, Alzack?" Bisca asked from inside the cart. "Are we in Hargeon?"

"It doesn't look like it, " he replied. He wasn't quite sure what the town looked like, but they weren't anywhere near a town. "I'll go check out why we stopped", he said, making his way to the front of the cart. When he got there, the shop owner was being harassed by a couple of bandits.

"Hand over the goods, old man," one of them threatened him.

"Please, " he begged. "I can't afford to lose any more goods."

"Aww, that's pretty selfish of you, " another one of the bandits teased. "Whatever happened to 'lending a helping hand' and 'sharing is caring'?"

"Hey, " Alzack called out, drawing their attention. "I'm pretty sure that you're supposed to pay before you get things from a shop owner. Or is this how things work in Fiore?"

One of the thugs replied, "Why don't you mind your business?"

"Funny, I was about to suggest the same thing. Leave the man alone before this has to get ugly."

The bandits laughed at his suggestion. "And what are you going to do, " one of them asked, "if we want it to get ugly, cowboy?"

Alzack sighed, as the men prepared to attack him. As they came closer to him, he reached for his belt and pulled out a revolver. He shot at the two, who were blown back against nearby trees.

"Don't worry, " he assured the startled shopkeeper. "My magic is gun-based. Those shots were a form of wind magic. They weren't likely to do much harm."

The men were starting to recover from the attack as Alzack prepared his next round. "These shots, on the other hand, are thunder-based and aren't going to be as harmless." He shot at the men again and they convulsed for a few moments as they were shocked by the magic. A few seconds later, they fell to the ground unconscious.

"Thank you for saving me, " the old man said to Alzack.

"That's why you hired us, right?" He replied. "Would you happen to know anything about these guys?"

"They called themselves the Heen Trio, but I haven't seen or heard of them before today."

"Heen Trio?" Alzack questioned. "But there are only two of them."

Just as the words left his mouth, he heard a gunshot from behind the cart. It was accompanied by a feminine groan and a thud.

"Oh no," he worried to himself. He ran to the back of the cart, fearing that she had been shot by the last member of the gang. He was ready to help her fight them off.

As it turned out, he was only partially correct. Bisca had encountered the final member of the Heen Trio. However, by the looks of it, Bisca had the drop on her. She currently standing over her body.

While he was glad to see her safe, what had his attention most at the moment was what was in her hands. She was holding a pump shotgun. He connected the dots in his head and blurted out the first thing to come to mind.

"That gunshot was you!?" he exclaimed, pointing at her weapon.

"Those gunshots were you!?" she retorted back, pointing at the weapon he had yet to put back in his holster.

The answer to both questions seemed obvious to them. Their hands dropped as they took a moment to regard each other. After a few moments of awkward silence, Alzack started to hold back laughter.

"What's so funny?" Bisca demanded. Seeing that this only made him laugh harder, she asked again. "Alzack, what's so funny?"

"I'm sorry, " he apologized. He could barely answer her, he was laughing so hard. "I was thinking about how you said that you were good at shots in the dark earlier."

Bisca thought on his words and slowly joined in his laughing.

"You should have told me this is what you meant", he laughed.

"I thought it was a good joke, " she replied, now laughing just as hard. "I'd never have imagined you'd also use Guns Magic."

After they tied up the bandits together, they debated leaving them for others to get or taking them with them to bring to the authorities themselves. They decided to leave them once the client mentioned that he didn't want to chance harm to more of his wares. After all, they had used some of his rope to tie up the bandits. 

The rest of the trip was uneventful. They made it to the shop just as the sun was setting. They helped unload the goods off the cart and put them in the shop. Some of the items went in storage and others went straight to the shelves. As Alzack brought the last box off the cart, the shopkeeper said, "That should be everything. Thank you for everything."

"No worries," Bisca replied.

"Now, I ought to get your reward", he said as he moved to a special room in the store. A few moments later, he came out of the room with a small box.

"I'm sure that the reward for this job must have been confusing. Unfortunately, I don't believe that I will be able to pay you for your work. But some time ago, I came across this and… I hope it will be enough of a reward."

"What is it?" Alzack asked as he carefully took the box from the shopkeeper.

"Open it and see, " he answered, with a smile across his face.

He placed the box on a nearby counter as Bisca stood next to him. He took the lid off the box, placed it on the counter, and reached into the box. He reached inside and lifted the item inside.

When they looked at what was in his hands, what they saw was a small orb, only barely able to cover the palms of his hands. The inside looked to depict a snowy day, with a small snowman waving a wizard's wand and other smaller creatures circling around it. There was a tall building off to the side collecting the white snowflakes that swirled around the ball.

"It's beautiful", they sighed in awe.

"It's supposed to be a rare decorative lacrima, " the elderly shopkeeper explained. "I never had the heart to put it for sale. I figured I would keep, in case I ever needed to sell it. As beautiful as it, I imagine it would sell for a high sum. Of course, whatever you do with it is up to you."

"Thank you very much, " Alzack said, carefully placing the orb back in it's back.

As they said their goodbyes, the shopkeeper thanked them again for their work.

"So, what did you think?", Bisca asked as they walked towards the train station.

"It was good, " Alzack replied. "But are jobs always like this?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I picked a pretty simple job, but he seemed pretty grateful for the help. Are all clients like this?"

"To be honest, " Bisca shrank "I wouldn't know."

"What do you mean?" Alzack asked, facing her.

"That was also my second job, " Bisca admitted.

"That was your second job?" he repeated.

She started to cover her face as she confessed, "I only joined the guild a few days before you. I just came back from my first when I heard you came. When I saw you in the guildhall, I knew something was off with the description people we're giving. So... you know… I just figured you would want to do the job together."

As she moved her hands from over her face, she saw his face. He wasn't laughing at her. He held a neutral face as he listened to her.

"You know, " he started, as her heart sank. "While we're being honest, I may not have been honest about not needing money and I don't know that I want to part with our reward. Maybe we can do another job together sometime soon."

Bisca was shocked to hear this suggestion. "Do you mean that?" she asked.

"As long as you still want to work with a supposed terrorist, " he teased. "I had fun today, Bisca. And I absolutely wouldn't mind working with you again."

"Thank you, Alzack," she replied.


	2. Chapter 2

"Erza!" Bisca called out, coming to greet her friend. 

"Bisca!" her friend replied.

"How was your mission?"

"Well, long story short, it went well. We were able to stop Erigor from killing anyone."

"That's good."

"But what about you and Alzack? How have you been doing?"

Bisca sighed, "We've been doing well. You know, we've been working together for almost a year now and I have enjoyed every job we've been on. I'm sure that he would tell you the same thing. But…"

Erza was confused. "But what? You want to work with someone else?" 

"No, no, no, ", Bisca hurriedly shot the idea down. "I enjoy working with him. I wouldn't want to work with anyone else. I just wish we were more than just partners." As the words sheepishly escaped she started to turn shades of red rivaling her friend's hair.

"Bisca", Erza said with a concerned tone, "are you in love with Alzack?"

As if to confirm her suspicions, Bisca covered her face, squealing in embarrassment. Erza was glad for both their sakes that a certain white-haired barmaid seemed to be currently preoccupied with other business. She would have a field day if she caught wind this conversation. Erza knew enough of her friend to know she meant well, but would sometimes go a bit too far.

Though, she did vaguely remember her mention something about them when she told her Alzack and Bisca went on their first mission together. She thought it was funny how things change as time passes. The guild was suspicious of him when he joined, but they've definitely warmed up to him now. Apparently, his partner had more than warmed up to him.

"It's so embarrassing!" Bisca confessed. "I've felt like this since the last Rainbow Cherry Blossom Festival. I came to Sola Park later than he did. When I saw him, some other girl was flirting with her and I started to get jealous. She asked me if I was dating him. I was a total mess trying to come up with a response! If the festival didn't start while we were talking-"

"Calm down, I don't want Mira to hear us," Erza urged her. "It's kind of nice to hear that you like Alzack. Honestly, I'm not shocked to hear that you like him."

"Really?"

"Then again, the festival was months ago. Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"I don't know. I didn't want to think about it too much about it. So I kept to myself about it. But a few weeks ago… well, I don't know what Loke must have done, but whenever he comes near us, Alzack gets so defensive of me. I guess I started to think he might feel the same way about me, and it just… ugh! What am I going to do?"

"Maybe you should tell him how you feel?" Erza suggested.

"What?!" Bisca questioned her friend.

"If you want to see if Alzack likes you, it might help if he knows how you feel."

"I can't do that!" Bisca objected. "I haven't even told him about… you know? My past... How am I supposed to tell him how I feel?"

Erza was taken aback by the fact that she hadn't told Alzack of her time before the guild. Though, she didn't blame her for not wanting to let him know about it. She was, after all, the only member besides Master Makarov who knew about it. "Well, maybe you should probably start with that and then tell him how you feel. If you seriously can see yourself wanting to be with him forever, it's probably best that he knows and hears it from you."

The advice didn't help Bisca stop blushing. In fact, she became a deeper shade of red. However, she couldn't deny the truth in her words. She really did love her partner. If she didn't tell him her secret, he might find out about it anyway. That was always a fear she had since coming to the guild and working. At first, the familial embrace of the guild members protected her from such worries. However, the fear grew as she continued to work in the guild. She knew that Alzack ought to know if she wanted their relationship to become something more.

And yet something still nagged at her. "But, " she asked as if she was giving voice to some secret fear, "what if he doesn't want to work with me after knowing who I was? What if he doesn't feel the same way?"

Erza thought about her words for a moment. As she did, Bisca worried about what she would say. She all but expected her to say that if he didn't accept her knowing that, he wasn't worth loving. Even knowing the truth in that statement wouldn't mean that a rejection from him hurt any less. She feared that she would still go on loving him regardless.

What she didn't expect was the response she got. "You know, " Erza mused, "before I came to the guild, there was... someone I cared about. I don't know that I would be who I am without them. But, one day… something happened to him and… I couldn't save him."

"I'm sorry, " Bisca offered. She couldn't think of a time Erza had been this vulnerable with her. "I never would have thought-"

"It's not your fault, " she assured her. "It was my own weakness that cost him. If only I were as strong as I was now then… maybe I could have saved him."

"Erza…"

Erza continued, "I just think you might want you to let him know how you feel while you still can. You might regret not telling him otherwise." Having said that, she started to leave.

"Where are you going?" Bisca asked.

"Natsu wanted to fight me tomorrow as part of working with him", Erza explained. "I want to get a good night's sleep in."

"Are you sure that another fight with Natsu will be that tough?"

"I don't want to look down on any of my potential opponents, especially Natsu. He seems to have improved quite a bit since the last time he challenged me."

Bisca wondered how much Natsu could have grown in two weeks to make a serious difference in their apparently upcoming fight. Yet another question came to mind that she had to ask her friend. "Don't you get tired of him asking you to fight him over and over again?"

"I feel like he sees fighting me or Laxus or Gildarts as part of his search for his dad. If he can beat us, nothing can stop him from fighting Igneel."

"He must really want to find him."

"You know, he probably has things he wants to let his father know as well."

"Yeah, " Bisca replied, lost in her own thoughts.

"See you tomorrow, Bisca, " Erza said as she left her friend.

"Hey, Erza!" Bisca called out. "Good luck tomorrow!"

"Good luck to you too, Bisca!" she replied going her own way.

"Right, " Bisca thought to herself. "I have to tell him soon."

\-------

It started off a few months ago.

After one of his missions with Bisca, Alzack tore Loke away from the swarm of girls he was near constantly surrounded by when he wasn't on missions with Gray for advice. He only stayed to listen because he clarified it was about advice on love.

"You remember the Rainbow Cherry Blossom Festival?" he asked.

"I remember the festival happening, " Loke responded. "I wasn't there because I was coming back from a mission but I spent an extra night with this girl. Can you believe that she was the granddaughter of one of the council members? She only told me because she saw the guild mark on my-"

"Anyway, " Alzack interrupted, "At the festival, some girl came up to me and I guess she was flirting with me."

"Really?" This revelation piqued Loke's interest. "So you want advice on how to pick her up?"

"Actually, I don't really have much of an interest in her, " he admitted.

"Oh, " Loke responded, dissatisfied by the turn of events. He started making his way back towards his women.

"But that's the thing, " Alzack continued, trying to get his attention. "Bisca interrupted us before the conversation could go anywhere."

Hearing the name of the gun mage's partner thrown back into the conversation revived Loke's interest in the situation. "Go on, " he urged him.

"It was totally weird, man. She had never acted like that around me before. When the girl asked her if we were dating, she couldn't come up with a response. The guy officiating the festival came up about the same time. After he was done, I let her know that I and Bisca weren't dating but I wasn't interested in her."

Loke could tell where this was going. "And how have you been since then?" he asked.

"I can't stop thinking about it," he replied. "Ever since then, the idea of us as a couple has randomly popped into my head and I get all flustered. I really hope Bisca hasn't noticed how weird it is for me to work with her."

"Oh my goodness, you idiots, " Loke murmured to himself, smacking his palm to his forehead.

"What was that?"

"Let me see if I have this right," he said, loud enough for Alzack to hear. "You're in love with Bisca and you want my advice?"

Loke's direct attitude towards the matter left Alzack blushing. "I guess that's the short version of it, " he sheepishly admitted.

"There's only one thing you can do, " he told him. "Tell her how you feel and ask her out."

"But, " Alzack started to protest.

"You should know what to do from there, " he cut him off, walking away. "If you don't confess to her, I will."

Loke meant that last part as a joke. However, Alzack didn't seem to take is that way. While he didn't grow any closer to telling Bisca how he felt, he knew he had to do something to stop Loke from taking her away from him. He did as much as he could to stop him from asking Bisca out. 

Short of telling her about his own feelings.

In the months that passed, a lot happened. They went on more missions together, the guild gained members, they would get in trouble with the Magic Council and Makarov would chew them for it. All the while things continued to be awkward between them and Alzack blamed himself for it. 

And then something weird happened. One day, it seemed like Bisca was going to tell him something important. But, whatever it was, it got lost in the shuffle of a guild war between Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord. The Master got sick and they needed to bring him to Porlyusica. All the while, Bisca was visibly annoyed. 

A month had passed since then. The dust of the events settled and they were just about able to take jobs again, even as the guildhall, which was destroyed in the conflict, was still being rebuilt. She didn't seem keen on bringing it up and he wasn't willing to pry. 

At the same time, he knew he had to tell her how he felt sooner or later. If he didn't, he was afraid Loke would try to take him from her. 

Of course, there was a bit more to it than that. Lost in the misunderstanding, Alzack didn't tell Loke that part of the reason he didn't feel ready to confess was that he was keeping something secret from her. He figured it was wrong of him to like her when he was hiding something from her, even after they had been working together for a year. That accounted for much of the awkwardness he felt around her. At least, that's what he wanted to think. 

He needed to tell her his secret and hope that she wanted to associate with him afterward. Only then did he think he would have the right to have feelings for his partner. He was just looking for the right time to do it. 

For better or worse, the opportunity came after their second mission after the job board was opened back up. They had decided to eat at an open-air cafe before they took the train back to Magnolia. They had shared many meals since working together. However, this one was different. There was a weird tension between them as they are, almost as real as the people and things around them. They didn't say much as they ate, but Alzack knew that this was his moment. If he didn't tell her now, he felt like he wouldn't get another chance.

"Bisca, " he started.

"Yes?" she shot up.

The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't let them out. "You know, the Fantasia Festival is coming up soon."

"Oh, " she replied, seemingly relieved by the simple nature of his statement. "Yeah, I guess it is."

"I wonder what it's going to be like, " he wondered. They had both joined the guild after last year's festival.

"From what Erza told me, it's supposed to be a really big deal. The guild even gets involved in a few events."

"Sounds like a good time. Do you think it will be bigger than the…" Alzack was going to ask if it would be bigger than the Rainbow Cherry Blossom Festival earlier. But even thinking about that got him thinking about their exchange. He turned into a stuttering mess.

"I guess so, " he heard in response. Looking at his partner, he was discouraged to see that she was also blushing red. He was doing a great job if he was being such an embarrassment for his own partner to stand.

"Erza talked to you about it?" he asked to bring the topic back to Fantasia.

"Yeah, " she responded, seemingly eager to get back into the previous conversation. "She asked me if I wanted to do something with Lucy and Levy for the parade."

"Really?" he asked, equally shocked to find that there was a parade and that his partner already had plans for it.

"Yeah. Sorry I didn't tell you about it earlier. Erza really wanted to make sure they feel welcome after the whole Phantom Lord situation."

"I can't blame her, " he responded, starting to get heated. "Laxus sure was a dick about the situation. I can see where he's coming from, but he's way off saying they shouldn't be in the guild."

"Alzack, " Bisca started to inquire, somewhat nervously. "Do you think Lucy will have a harder time in the guild?"

He started to calm down as the question hit a bit closer to home than he would have liked. "I'd like to think not. I mean, we've only been in the guild for less than a year, but, Laxus aside, Fairy Tail doesn't seem to be the kind of guild that would exclude members for being weak or causing problems for the guild."

"But, what if… What if you were Lucy's partner? Would you still want to work with her even after what happened?"

"Well, I can't speak for Natsu, Gray, and Erza, but… I don't know that I would be to say I couldn't."

"What do you-"

"I have to tell you something, " he blurted out. Now seemed as good a chance as ever to tell her the truth. "Do you remember when I first came to the guild and people were worried about me?"

"Yeah, " she hesitantly replied, " but you didn't do anything to make them suspicious, right?"

"Unfortunately, Fairy Tail wasn't my first guild."

"Really?"

"I was a part of another guild in Alakatasia. They weren't as big as Fairy Tail, and they definitely weren't as friendly. One day, our guild master let us know that he conscripted our guild as part of the Alvarez Empire's army."

"So the guild you were a part of…"

"Yes, " he confirmed. "They were part of the invasion effort on Fiore. When I caught wind of the plan, I knew I had to make a choice. I left the guild, my family. I didn't know any better place to run away to than to the place they seemed unable to attack and once I came over, I heard about Fairy Tail. Can't say I made the wrong choice joining."

"Alzack…"

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. I had no idea how I would bring it up, but I felt like I needed because-"

"I used to be an outlaw."

Alzack could hardly believe what he heard. "What?" he asked to confirm he heard his partner correctly.

Bisca spoke up to clarify what she had said. "Before I was in the guild, I was an outlaw called the "Moulin Rouge". I was really using the money to feed my pet mouse, Sonny, but I was stealing it from people. What did me in was that my persona involved pretending to be a member of Fairy Tail in a place on the outskirts of Fiore. Erza happened to come to the area and effectively ended my career. About the only reason I'm alive is that she heard my story and decided not to kill me. It took me until recently to realize what a mistake I was making. If someone like Laxus saw what I was doing… I don't even know what would happen."

They both sat silent for a few moments, considering what they had both shared. They both shared and heard deeply personal information. Had they shared this with anyone who they had spent less time with, this would almost certainly be the end of their relationship. And even at this point, it wasn't clear exactly what was going to happen.

"Wait, " Alzack started to ask. "So when you said I didn't look like a bad guy after talking to me before our first mission… was that because you were an outlaw?"

Bisca was surprised to hear him make that connection, especially as his immediate first thought to the news. "Yeah, I guess, " she hesitated to reply. "I don't remember seeing you looking as if you were someone who was up to something or putting up a nervous act. You looked genuinely anxious."

"Oh."

"So that wasn't your first mission?"

"Yes and no. I had done jobs in my old guild, but that was the first time I chose to do any job. I wasn't sure what to expect from a job that didn't have a clear reward, but I guess we lived to tell the tale."

"And wanting to do more jobs, despite it only being my second?"

"I figured that, since we both were new to the system, we probably ought to work through it together. And, despite everything, I feel like we both made the right decision."

"Oh."

"For what it's worth, " Alzack added, " I'm glad you decided to become a part of Fairy Tail. We don't kill a lot of the people we fight, but you never know if they ever become good guys or not."

"Thanks, " she replied. "And, for what it's worth, I think that it takes a lot of guts to leave the kind of situation you did. I'm glad you're also a Fairy Tail wizard."

"Thanks, " he also replied. "There was something else I wanted to tell you."

"I have something to tell you too."

Before either of them could share what they had in mind, their waiter came back to their table. "Here you are, " he said, placing a milkshake on the table. To their surprise, the one milkshake came with two straws.

"Excuse me, " Alzack protested. "We didn't order this."

"No need to worry, " he assured them. "Apparently, one of the other tables thought they should 'treat a young couple to a surprise gift'. I hope there is nothing wrong."

Alzack couldn't come up with a response. All he could do is accept the token. From this exchange, he ultimately learned two new things: Bisca wasn't a fan of sweets, and it's easier to confess your love for someone when you both air out your dirty laundry for each other.


	3. Chapter 3

It had been about three months since Alzack and Bisca had started dating. By the time Erza accidentally spilled the beans about their relationship, it was pretty clear that something was happening between them to the other guild members. And looking back, that might have been the most average thing to happen to the guild.

Over those three months, the guild had gone through several crazy antics. A few of the members of Phantom Lord directly responsible for the earlier attack on Fairy Tail ended up joining the guild: the Rain Woman, Juvia Lockser, and Fairy Tail's second Dragon Slayer, "Black Steel" Gajeel Redfox. At first, the members would have expected their arrival to be followed by some sort of bad omen. 

What they didn't expect was for it to come how it did. As the Fantasia Festival started, Laxus came back and got the guild to fight itself, while holding the city hostage. Bisca and other girls in the guild were turned to statues. By the end of it all, the guild ended up embracing its former enemies and Laxus was kicked out of the guild before the Fantasia Parade started.

Not long after that, Erza went on a mission with her group and brought back another dragon slayer. Her name was Wendy Marvell and she came with her cat named Carla. They didn't have much time to enjoy it, because not long after she came the guild was apparently turned into a giant lacrima and sent to another dimension. Apparently, because most of the guild didn’t notice it happening. From their view, they were having as normal a rainy day in Fairy Tail’s guildhall could be one moment, and the next they were sucked into something and spit back out. About as soon as they got their bearings, they found that Lisanna Strauss, once thought to have died two years ago, had come back to the guild - exactly two years after she was thought to have died, no less.

At any rate, Alzack and Bisca had spent more than three months dating. Their reason for not informing the rest of the guild had nothing to do with their shame in being in a relationship with each other. They were both happy to be a couple. After sharing their secrets, they found it much easier to open up to each other about themselves. Alzack told her more about his time in Alakatasia and Bisca told him more about her time as an outlaw. The more they shared about each other, the deeper in love they fell with each other.

The real problem was that they hadn't done much to show it. After about three months of dating, they hadn't even so much as held hands, let alone kiss. It would be hard for anyone who knew them to tell that they were dating without being told. They were already working together as partners. If they were seen together, it would make sense to think they were on a job or just came back from one.

The fact that their relationship started after being mistaken for a couple didn't do as much to help them about this as Bisca would have hoped. She wanted to be the one who would take action and do something about their relationship, just as she started it by approaching Alzack over a year ago. She also knew that he wanted to do something as his confession is what got them to start dating. However, neither of them seemed able to do much of anything to progress their relationship.

As bad as that might have been on its own, the guild seemed to have another budding relationship. It seemed as though Juvia had taken a liking to another member of the guild, Gray Fullbuster. Despite his seeming disinterest in dating her, she was very forward about wanting to date him. That he didn't do a whole lot to confirm or deny having feelings for the woman seemed to give her enough of a reason to continue her public displays of affection to "her beloved Gray". 

As much as she felt some of her antics went a bit too far, she couldn't help but wish she had a similar willingness to show her affection for Alzack and even rooted for her a little bit. After all, she saw a bit of herself in Juvia. She knew what it was like to be in love with someone who you weren't sure was in love with you. She knew what it was like to come into the guild after turning away from doing terrible things. And after the Fantasia Parade, it was clear that she had a love for the guild and its members that was as strong as her love for Gray. 

Well, that might be a stretch, but she was certainly proud to be a Fairy Tail member and the guild was happy to have her.

Bisca was afraid that she was sending the wrong message to Alzack. As much as she said otherwise, she was afraid Alzack didn't believe that she loved him. She had known him long enough to think that was possible. Unfortunately, she couldn't make that translate into any meaningful action. Still, she knew that something had to give if their relationship was going to survive.

What ended up doing it was something neither of them would have expected.

Not long after the participants of the guild’s S-Class Exams were announced, and neither of them were named, Bisca had the idea that they should take a mission the same day that the exams were taking place, especially to cheer Alzack up. They left the guild in the afternoon, finished the mission the next day, stayed in town for the night, and made their way back to Magnolia. When they got back to the guild, they were shocked to see that they weren’t the only ones who made it back to the guild. Unfortunately, they weren’t met by the members who left for the exam.

Fairy Tail had quite a reputation as a guild that caused a great number of troubles for the Magic Council. For all the warnings and threats that had been levied against individual guild members and the guild as a whole, their relationship stayed tense, but never go to the point where the Council made a point to visit the guild. They seemed to have made an exception today as a small group of members from the council was standing in front of the guild.

“What’s going on?” Bisca asked as she and Alzack snuck into the guild, doing their best not to be noticed by the council members.

“Oh, you guys came in just in time,” came the reply from Kinana, yet another mage who recently joined the guild. “These guys from the council came in saying they have news.”

She pointed to a tall man with glasses. “That guy said his name was Lahar and he said that Fairy Tail got into a fight with Grimoire Heart.”

“That can’t be good,” Bisca winced. Fairy Tail had recently gotten into some trouble for being involved with the takedown of the Oracion Seis, a partner group with Grimoire Heart and another guild named Tartarus in what was known as the Balam Alliance. They were a group of the strongest dark guilds in Fiore. Even so, Fairy Tail and other guilds were forbidden with getting into fights with other guilds, even dark guilds. Fairy Tail was still on relatively thin ice because of the incident with Phantom Lord. Even though the only way this fight could have happened was for Fairy Tail to have been attacked, this couldn’t spell good for the guild. 

“And that’s not all,” Kinana continued. “Just before you guys came in, he said that Mest was working as an agent for the council.”

“Wait,” Alzack interjected. “Mest? Working for the council?”

“Yeah. He was working under a fake name and everything. He’s been spending the past few minutes trying to calm the guild down.”

“He must not be aware of what he’s dealing with,” Bisca joked.

“Frankly,” Kinana replied, “ as a member of the council, he probably knows exactly what he’s dealing with. It looks like he’s about to start talking again.”

“As I was saying,” Lahar said after clearing his throat and pushing up his glasses. “Our agent Doranbolt confirmed that the Black Wizard Zeref was seen on Sirius Island. This complicated our plans to monitor the guild in its fight with Grimoire Heart. Our original plan was to inform the heads of the council and allow them to pass judgment on the incidents taking place. However, after a few… complications, we were informed of a greater threat.”

“Wait, who’s Doranbolt?” Alzack whispered.

“That’s the name Mest was going under,” Kinana answered, trying to draw their attention back to Lahar.

“Doranbolt was able to ascertain that Zeref had predicted the coming of the black dragon, Acnologia.” At this, there were a new series of murmurs. Lahar didn’t seem as intent to wait for them to stop to continue. ”We decided to leave the island, but as we saw the dragon go over us, we made our way back. By the time we got there, the island was... gone.”

“What do you mean gone?!” a voice cried out of the crowd.

“The island was entirely missing”, he replied, starting to get agitated. “The place where it used to be located was replaced with a crater.”

“No,” Bisca gasped.

“There’s no way,” Alzack mused.

“Unfortunately, we weren’t able to find anyone who may have been on the island to have survived. Currently, we are continuing to search for anyone who may have survived the incident. We’ve been partnering with several other guilds to figure out what has happened to the island.”

At that, Bisca started to leave the guild. She felt her partner reach out for her and call her name, but she didn’t pay him mind. As she ran out of the guild, she could hardly process what happened. Her fellow members of the guild. Her friends. Gone in an instant. She didn’t know exactly how to take all of it in. However, she did know what she wanted to do next, more than anything.

\-------

Bisca didn’t seem to miss much of anything in leaving. After running off, Lahar struggled and ultimately failed to keep the guild and his temper under control as he tried to explain the situation in further detail. In truth, had Alzack known some of the finer details at work, he would have likely wished to have left as well. However, it did him good to stay as he learned some of the nuances behind their decisions.

First, the Black Wizard. He was a wizard rumored to have been responsible for much evil that was done on the continent, even beyond the borders of Fiore. Some of their guild members had run-ins involving the residue of his actions, even trying to revive him. It seemed as though he had started to become active again, but the council wasn’t entirely aware of what his next actions were, how the supposed efforts of his followers could account for his return, or even what motivated him to do what he did.

Then, there was Acnologia. Even on Alakatasia, he knew of the rumors of a black dragon that left trails of bodies in his wake. However, as the existence of Zeref seemed to be true, so did the existence of this dragon. There was nothing that even the efforts of the strongest mages on the continent combined would likely have been able to do to stop him. The guild’s best wizards never stood a chance and any intervention from the Magic Council wouldn’t have helped tip the scale in their favor.

To add insult to injury, it seemed as though the council was still deciding to punish Fairy Tail. Despite everything that happened, the council decided that the guild still deserved to be punished for engaging the Oracion Seis and Grimoire Heart. They were still deciding on if and how to go through with it. But the news of even the possibility of punishment went about as well as one would expect it to among the guild members. It had been about a week since that happened. No one had been taking jobs. For the most part, everyone was still waiting to see what would happen next. 

Luckily, there was a more present concern to distract them: Christmas. Of the many things that seemed to get lost in the deluge of events overwhelming the members of Fairy Tail, they were not going to let this pass them by as something to ignore. The joy of the Christmas season served as the perfect distraction from the confusion of the events on Sirius Island.

For Alzack, this should have been a good thing. Especially since Bisca wanted to meet with him on Christmas evening. He suggested that they should go out if they were going to do something, but she was adamant about meeting him at his house. This should have been good for him…

But he was incredibly nervous. It wasn’t as if this was the first time she had been to his house. They had often visited each other’s houses before and after missions. This hadn’t changed much since they had started dating. 

However, he was worried for another reason. There was talk among the members of the guild of leaving the guild. They had various reasons, be it a need for stability, disappointment in the seeming lack of prestige, or just a need to escape the insanity of the guild. Whatever their reason, it wasn't clear exactly who was going to stay in the guild and who would leave. There was talk of appointing Macao Conbolt as an interim guild master, but little else was clear.

And there was that other thing…

Ever since the Fantasia Parade, Alzack was feeling insecure about his ability to protect Bisca. He knew it wasn't his fault that she along with other members of the guild were petrified. At the same time, he still blamed himself for what happened. If he were more perceptive, he likely would have been able to recognize the threat and prevented it.

Since then, he found it difficult to progress their relationship. They hadn't even done as much as holding hands after months of dating. Gray Fullbuster was able to eat calmly with a girl he knew was head over heels for him as if he was hanging out with another one of the guild members, but he couldn't hold hands with his girlfriend. 

He felt like an embarrassment. And, at this point in their relationship, he figured that Bisca thought of him as a disgrace. His better judgment told him that she probably wouldn't call him to break up on Christmas at his own house. At the same time, a lot of things weren't making sense lately.

And so came the appointed time. Bisca came knocking on his front door and he invited her in. They shared a couple of drinks in silence. Nothing out of the ordinary so far.

Although, he did notice something was a bit different. Normally, the silence between them would be more of an awkward waiting between the two of them for someone to talk about something that would get a conversation going. Now, he still shared that awkward patience for something to happen. But he could tell that Bisca wasn't feeling the same way. She seemed as though she had something that was bothering her; as if she was waiting for the right opportunity to say what she had in mind.

"You know," she remarked, breaking the silence, "this past year has probably been the best year of my life."

"Yeah," he nervously replied. "It's been a great year for me too." 

"I know, right? Despite everything we went through, I'm glad that we're both able to say that."

Alzack sighed internally. The conversation was starting to put his fears at ease. It seemed as though there was nothing to worry about.

"And yet…"

"Huh?" he questioned. With two words, she managed to bring back every fear he had about her coming.

"I wish there was a lot more that I was able to do. More memories I could have made. More experiences I could have."

He didn’t know how to react to that statement. The words “Really?” managed to escape his mouth in a nervously inquisitive tone. He wasn’t quite sure if that was a voluntary action or not.”

“Yeah,” she replied, seeming to take that as a response from him. “I know that it’s kind of selfish of me. I should be happy with how things have been. But…”

“But what?”

“Well, after what we learned a week ago, I started to think of what was most important to me. I realized I need to keep the things I value most as my top priorities. And that’s why I wanted to meet with you today.”

Alzack’s mind raced. Keep what she values most as her top priorities? What could she possibly mean? Where did he fit into this? Where did the guild fit into this?

“Alzack,” Bisca asked.

“Yes?” he nervously replied, with his eyes shut. He was unsure of what her next words were going to be.

“Will you marry me?”

“What?”

“A while ago… a friend told me that, if I loved someone, I should let them know or I would regret it. When we heard the news about what happened to our friends, I realized that… I love you. I don’t know what I would do if you were on that island and I wasn’t there with you. I realized that I wanted nothing more than to be with you for the rest of our lives.”

The news hit Alzack like a ton of bricks. He started to break down in tears. Of all the things that his partner could have said, all the things she could have wanted, this was nowhere on his radar. He didn’t know how to properly respond.

“You know,” he tried to reply through tears, “you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“And you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“I don’t know why you would ever want to spend the rest of your life with me.”

“Alzack,” she replied, lifting his head to face him. “Ever since our first mission, you’ve been nothing but nice and accepting of me, despite everything. I’m sure that anyone would be happy to have you. And yet, you’ve been completely loyal to me, despite both of our inabilities to move the relationship forward.”

“Bisca,” he replied, wiping his face with his arm. “Yes, I will marry you.”

With that, she pulled him in for their first kiss. As his lips met hers, he wished that this moment would last forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And they all lived- well, you know.
> 
> While I'm known on Tumblr for talking about a lot of other ships, Alzack and Bisca have my favorite relationship in the series. This is a story I've had in mind to write for a long time. When the time came to participate in the Big Bang again, I knew I wanted to write this story. 
> 
> In writing this story, I had three main goals for this story.
> 
> 1\. Use/include as much information and iconography associated with Alzack, Bisca, and their relationship as possible. This means utilizing some more obscure information. For example, the girl that approached Alzack in Chapter 2 is a reference to a girl that Bisca was love rivals with according to her second guild card. In case you're wondering, she ends up being Asuka's babysitter.
> 
> 2\. Write this story in a way that it can work with canon and changes that I want to make to canon. While the first wasn't terribly difficult, the latter was a bit tricky at spots. Going back to the second chapter, Erza doesn't mention much about the Lullaby mission. That's because I want to change some of the details involving the mission.
> 
> 3\. Give a definitive backstory for Albis. This one is the most important to me, but it is also the one I can judge the least. As long as I've been in the fandom, a lot of people haven't seen much to talk about or praise about Albis other than "that ship that actually happened". I wanted to flesh out the characters in ways that I'm not sure other writers have. Hopefully, people will see this as an explanation as to what was happening involving them behind the scenes.
> 
> Thanks for reading this work and special thanks to lulupinnn who I'm partnered with for this work.


End file.
